July 6, 2023. Floor 15.

Lucy Morikende:

Maxis sighed deeply, slouching over and resting his elbows on his massive knees. "I guess I have a weakness for siblings," he opened a guild invitation window, sending two invites to Reo and I. To the left of Maxis, Atlas scoffed, as if remembering something unpleasant.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, interested.

He gave me a tired smile and waved his hand, "Oh, nothing dear. Nothing."

Ignoring him, I looked to my right, smiling down at Reo, whose eyes were wide with excitement. She clenched my cloak tightly before turning towards the invite window and tapping the 'Accept' option. I did so as well, as Maxis began to explain my assignment, due to our agreement.

"Well, Lucy-san," Maxis smiled at me from his throne-like chair, "Welcome to the Guardsmen."

I nodded, showing my appreciation, "Now who will I be protecting?" I asked eagerly.

"A young man known as Bullet," Atlas grunted, unamused, "He'll soon be a vice-commander of our guild. He's smart, but reckless," his tone was serious and annoyed, "His recklessness will surely be the death of him."

Maxis quickly stood up, beaming down at me with his hands on his hips, "That's why you're here!"

I felt Reo tense up next to me, slowly grasping my right hand. She looked up at me, her wide, blue eyes showing obvious worry and lack of confidence. I stroked her cheek softly with my free hand, calming her.

I looked towards Maxis, still soothing my sister, "And when do I meet this man?"

He grinned, "I'd say whenever he joins."

"What?" I responded, sounding a bit too surprised, "He's not even in the guild yet?" Is this a joke?

He shrugged his huge shoulders, plopping down on his throne, "He'll be here shortly to agree to my proposition," he sounded confident, but lazy.

I furrowed my eyebrows, a bit irritated, "And what if he says no?"

Maxis let out a roaring guffaw, "Oh," how was that funny? "He won't," he winked, "I'm sure of it."

July 6, 2023. Floor 15.

Haru Hayai:

The town of Kerning was a bit of an old-style Japanese looking town, with red tiled, curved roofs and slim, long buildings on each side of the wide, gray brick streets. Cherry blossom trees occasionally brightened the road, giving an already beautiful city even more luxury. I was stunned and actually upset with myself for never coming here.

A wide, dumb smile found way to my face as we began to walk down the street from the teleporter. Banto turned his head enough to see my expression, "You like it, eh?" he said with a smile.

I managed to squeak out, "It's beautiful!" as my eyes darted from side to side, admiring the architecture and artistry of the town.

Keiga chuckled, "You wouldn't believe how much an apartment here costs," Oh, I'm sure I would, "Last time I checked the price on one, it was up to 5 hundred thousand Col."

I sighed, as Keiga wiped away my hopes of ever living in a utopia such as this, "That's 'bout right..."

Ahead of me, Banto groaned, "And on our salaries, there's no way we'd make anything even close to that!"

Surprised, I asked, "Maxis pays you?" I never got paid...

"No!" Banto whined, "We get food and housing, but that's it."

"Well that's not all," Keiga chimed in, "Any rewards we find while on the job, like special items or weapons, we get to keep."

I nodded my head approvingly, "That seems fair. But where do you get your Col?"

"As I said," Keiga answered, his index finger raised, "Any rewards we find while on the job, we keep."

I can work with that... At this thought, I shook my head violently. How could I even consider joining these guys again? They'll just get me killed! I stopped rattling my head for a moment to consider my situation, Then again... I thought, There's safety in numbers.

I sighed loudly, I don't even know why I'm thinking about this. Maxis might not even want me back, he may just want to confirm that I'm alive or some crap...

Banto and Keiga began to get off topic of the guild, chatting about level requirements for certain food items, and I let my eyes drift around what I could see of Kerning. Very few players walked the streets, one or two every couple of blocks. But so far, I've seen five other Cygnus members. Which might mean that they claim this town as their turf, like gangs do in the real world. Minus the extortion and racketeering, I suppose.

Small booths owned by NPCs appeared occasionally on either side of the road, selling primarily food items, and I began to feel myself getting hungry.

As we passed by a steaming ramen booth, my mouth began to water with virtual saliva. My eyes locked on the booth, I strongly bumped into a halted Banto. I felt myself lose my balance and began to fall backwards, my heart jumped and I felt a large hand catch me by my back.

I turned my head over to see Keiga slumped over, holding me up, "Careful there, Bullet-sama," he chuckled.

Awkwardly, I stood up, "Th-thanks, Keiga-san." He smiled at me and pointed in Banto's direction.

I glanced towards Banto, who stepped aside and swung his arm ahead of him enthusiastically "Here we are!"

The building was a honey-yellow color, large wooden structure. Much bigger than the other buildings I've seen in Kerning. Deep red shingles curved upwards, creating a triangle shaped roof, giving the building a castle-like sense. Two large flags of Cygnus were hung appropriately on each side of the front wall, just as the first HQ on the second floor. A wide staircase lead to the deep red double doors, and Banto lead us up the stairs to the front door.

I felt my chest begin to heat up with nervousness, and I forced myself to take deep breathes, calming my nerves.

I couldn't understand why I was nervous, but I felt like a child who had done something wrong and was about to face the consequences. In my mind I reassured myself, creating a false sense of bravery. I've literally done nothing wrong, so I have no reason to be nervous. Right? Banto opened the wide double doors and motioned me inside. "Father Maxis is right through there." he pointed towards two brown double doors in the center of the large, gray lobby.

"You're not coming?" I asked sheepishly.

Keiga responded, "Those weren't in the orders, sir."

I sighed, ignoring the 'Sir', "Damn..." I mumbled, "Well I'll see you guys in a couple minutes, I guess."

They waved me off, closing the large doors behind me. I shoved my hands in my pockets as I looked around the gray lobby. It was empty, aside from three identical double doors with bright, brass handles. One in the middle, the left wall, and the right. I could only identify that one had to be the sleeping quarters, and the one I was walking towards would be the meeting hall.

As I arrived at the specified doors, I sighed deeply, pulling my hands from my pockets, I slowly tugged on the handles, pulling open the doors.

The hall was a spacious area, probably taking up the majority of the building. The signature gray of the building was present on every wall, with marble-like columns separated evenly about the right and left walls.

A familiar voice roared out to me, "Ah, welcome Haru-chan!" I looked towards Maxis, who sat atop a large throne-like seat on a small marble platform with two armed guards in Cygnus robes on each side of him, "I've been expecting you."

I grunted lazily, slowly stepping towards his platform.

His physical appearance literally had not changed a bit. He looked like he did the day I left him. I was admittedly disappointed by his figure, As I was hoping he would be wearing blisteringly white robes and a large, priest-like hat, due to his title of 'Father'. I resisted laughing at the mental image.

"You look good!" he called out, "I see you've been keeping up with the levels of the frontliners, yes?"

I sighed again, "Mourning in self pity will get you nowhere, fast." I despised the truth of this sentence, and scolded myself in my mind for saying it.

He shook his head approvingly, "Good for you, Haru-chan. You seem to have taken your brothers deaths rather well."

I grimaced and anger rose in my chest, but I bit my tongue, fighting the urge to tell him off.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, shut my eyes and groaned, "What can I do for you, Maxis? Oh wait, I'm sorry," I formed air quotations with my fingers, "'Father?'"

He chuckled, never breaking his composure, as usual, "Now, now, Haru-chan," he wagged his finger at me, "No need for all of the hostility," he sat up, showing me his obvious size and began to walk down the marble stairs, "But I suppose I should tell you why you're here."

"If you'd like," I shrugged, "I'm just happy to see your beautiful face."

He gave his usual roaring laugh, "Come now, Haru-chan, you're far too young for me!" At this, he and his two guards chuckled hysterically, and I became noticeably annoyed, letting a scowl form on my face.

He stopped laughing and hushed his guards, rubbing the back of his head, "Yeesh, Haru-chan. You take everything too seriously."

I avoided his gaze, "I get that a lot. Now, back to business, yeah?"

He looked surprised, "Oh yes, sure. Well, to put it simply Haru-chan," he looked down at me with gleaming, determined eyes, "I want you back." He dramatically hung a lip and dropped to one knee, holding either hand out towards me.

I felt no surprise, really. I had been silently contemplating my response since I was caught by Keiga and Banto. I knew my answer, and I knew it was the right choice. But I've been acting like a brat ever since that day in January. Avoiding Cygnus and Maxis at all costs, deciding whether or not to jump into the never ending virtual sky. So I knew I owed Maxis an answer that would satisfy him. But I also owed myself some comfort in the life that followed me with this answer.

"Sure."

He seemed taken aback by my quick response, "Really? Just like that?"

I shook my head, "I have my conditions, of course."

He smiled and shrugged, "I expected nothing less," he waved his hand, motioning me to continue.

I made a fist with my right hand and held it shoulder length, "One," I raised one finger as I stated this, "I want my own room," I raised another finger appropriately, "I get to choose the boss battles I participate in, " and another, "I don't want a bodyguard." I've noticed how Maxis' fangirls always trail him everywhere and I do not want that.

He corrected me, "Guardsmen!"

I sighed, "Whatever..."

He moved his massive fist to his chin and began to nod. "Alright," he exclaimed, "I agree to all of those except one, you must have a guardsmen. It's dangerous out there, and I can't have our Vice-roy walking the streets alone," he beamed as he said this.

I raised an eyebrow, "Vice-roy?"

"That's right."

"I'm not exactly leadership material," I scratched the back of my head.

"Well, actually..." his voice trailed, "Think of yourself as a uh, symbol. A beacon for the other players to see Cygnus as other than just a frontline guild, a family, of sorts."

I grinned, "I guess that's where the 'Father' comes in, eh?"

He looked embarrassed, "You'd be correct."

I read his words in my mind, trying to understand his meaning, "So I'd be a mascot?" I asked with a bit of hostility in my voice.

He grinned, "Of sorts."

I sighed, not really caring of what purpose I serve. As long as he doesn't put me in charge of another life, I'm happy. I suppose the guard isn't that bad, right? Someone following a couple meters behind, watching out for thieves and whatever else they look for. I fought back a heavy yawn, the lack of sleep taking effect on me as the morning faded to afternoon. I hastily nodded my head approvingly to Maxis' proposal, "Let's get it over with."

He gave me a wide smile, beaming at me. He put his hands on his hips and exclaimed, "Welcome back, Haru-kun!" Haru-kun, huh?

I smiled weakly, "Thanks, Maxis."

"Your brothers would want this."

I grimaced and my eyes threatened to water, but I forced them shut and tried to focus on something else, I managed to squeak out, "I know."

"Now, time to meet your guardsmen."

"Huh? Already?"

He nodded and shouted a name I had thought I heard wrong. My heart jumped and I convinced myself that he hadn't said what I thought he said.

I heard the doors open behind me, and I whipped myself around to see the girl I had once met on the second floor standing before me in white, leather armor. A sabre clutching her waist where a cyan skirt lay.

Her wide, blue eyes sparkled to me, and I found it hard to pull my gaze from them. Her hair looked just the way she had it when we met, and I felt my mouth begin to slowly drop with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

She stared at me for a moment before muttering, "It's you."

July 6, 2023. Floor 15.

Lucy Morikende:

He began to stutter rapidly. As if he were scared to talk to me. I'm sure he wasn't expecting me. After all, we had only met once. I'll admit, he hasn't crossed my mind since he helped me out that night.

After a few seconds of rambling, he stopped himself and put his hands behind his back and nervously said, "Hey."

I smiled at his awkwardness, "Nice to see you again."

Maxis looked surprised, his eyebrows raised, "You know each other?"

I nodded, "Somewhat," I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly, "I've actually forgotten your name, Bullet-san."

He gave me a weak smile and introduced himself.

"Haru-kun, huh?" I repeated his name a few times to get used to it. It rolled off the tongue and was easy to remember. Short and sweet. For a moment I scolded myself in my mind for forgetting.

He turned to Maxis, "Will that be all?" He addressed Maxis as a peer, not as an authority. I found this odd and a bit disrespectful, but Maxis seemed to take no offense.

"Oh, one more thing," Maxis opened a window in his inventory and equipped a key, placing it in Haru's hand, "This is to an apartment on this floor. The address is in the key's description, so you'll have no trouble finding it," he beamed down at Haru with a glow of affection and pride, it seemed.

Haru thanked him and began walking towards the door as Maxis shouted, "Your uniform will be in shortly, Haru-kun!"

Now next to me, Haru shook his head, grinning, he replied, "Looking forward to it, Maxis-sama."
He swung the doors open and looked to me, he smiled warmly, his wide, green eyes reminded me of emeralds and I couldn't stop staring at them. He nodded his head towards the exit, and I followed him like a pet to her master. How humbling, I thought.

As we exited the Cygnus building, Haru began accepting numerous friend requests as well as a guild request, which reminded me to invite him to a party. Upon doing so, he flicked his head in the direction of a nearby ramen booth, and darted towards it at lightning speed. Leaving me standing awkwardly in the middle of the rather empty street. I sighed, walking towards the ramen booth.

He began ordering large amounts of food from the NPC, sparking my curiosity and I asked, "You must be hungry, hm?"

He chuckled, "I haven't eaten today," he put his finger to his chin, glancing at the roof of the booth, "Or yesterday, now that I think about it."

I was taken aback by his statement, how could he not be feeling fatigue after a day and a half without food? He can't be that disciplined!

After accepting his food, which as the screen showed, came to a total of two hundred Col, he motioned me to follow him to a nearby bench under a sakura tree, accepting my party request with his free hand.

He silently offered me a bowl. Accepting it, I thanked him and took the initiative to start a conversation, "So, how has SAO been treating you?" after saying this, I immediately groaned in my head, could I be any more boring?

He seemed to take no offense, though, replying warmly to my lame question, "Pretty bad," he smiled as he slurped his ramen, "Although I shouldn't complain, as I'm sure others are far worse off," I nodded, motioning him to continue, "It was kinda fun at first. But after I met Maxis..." his words fell and he stared into his ramen, as if remembering something he didn't want to, "Something bad happened, and I went solo. But I know that this is what's best for me. The best way to get out of this world," he turned to me and smiled broadly, "Enough about me, what about you?"

I finished my bite of ramen, thinking of what to say. Well, I thought, I found out my sister was here without telling me, and now I'm just trying to get by and protect her. That's the only reason I'm your guard, really.

Jeez, I'd be surprised if he didn't storm off if I were to tell him this.

"I'm here with my sister, Reo, and I'm just trying to survive with her, I guess," I glanced towards Haru, who had a warm yet distant look on his face as he stared into the sky. "Not as interesting as your story, though."

He looked at me with another warm smile, "I think you're interesting, Lucy-chan."

I felt my face heat up and I could tell I was blushing, I forced myself to focus on the ramen and began to hastily try to finish off the bowl.

July 6, 2023. Floor 3.

Lucy Morikende:

As we reached Haru's destination, a hill near the town of Belos, he asked me to stay put at the bottom of the hill, "I'll only be a few seconds, no need to come up."

I found it curious that he would ask me to stay at the bottom of a hill on the third floor, but I was determined not to let my curiosity get the better of me. So I stood with my arms crossed, shutting my eyes and trying not to think about it.

This lasted for a good two minutes, but I could hold myself no longer. I have to know what he's doing up there.

I creeped slowly up the hill, trying not to make any noise as I ascended upon the top. A large willow tree sat at the edge of the hill, and Haru was slumped over two large marble bricks that seemed to be planted into the ground. I squinted at the bricks, trying to decipher the words written on them. In Japanese, the stone to the right read, "Karuji Hayai", the stone left of Haru was etched in the same way, but with the words, "Maruke Hayai".

Haru stood weakly ahead of me, as if he had to pull himself from the stones. Facing the ground, he stepped slowly towards me and looked at me with tired, wet eyes, "Let's go," he muttered, his voice shaking a small amount, as he descended the hill. I waited a moment, looking back at the stones.

Notes:

Belos is the beginner town in La Tale Online.

Reo is the name of a main character in a really cute yuri-anime.

I personally like how it switches from Lucy to Haru POV. It really gives you a perspective on the two of them. There will be more chapters in which we see the world through the eyes of Lucy.

In case you're wondering, Haru is also short for something, just like Maru and Karu. I'm not sure if I'll ever get around to it or not, so I'll just tell you Haru's real name now, Haruko.